Managers in the public service: what can only you do?

This article is written by Paula Vital, manager at the Ontario Ministry of Health and OPS culture of care and compassion working group member.

• The problem: Managers try to take on too much responsibility
• Why it matters: During times of high stress, it can lead to burnout
• The solution: Sensible delegation can lighten the load — but requires knowing what only you can do

What is it that I can only do? Learning to delegate and the 80/20 rule

When I first started my management journey, I found myself doing things, and then realising that I had a team that could have done them. Then, I would find myself rewriting or redoing products and realising that this was taking me a tremendous amount of time with very little return.

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Mindfulness can help with these typical early management challenges. When we incorporate a mindful pause as a new task comes in, we can ask ourselves — is this something only I can do? If not, who would be the best person for this job?

Taking the time to build your team’s capacity for project leadership will help to increase their engagement while reducing your overwhelm. This will require the mindfulness practice of spending time with your team, being present with them, and adequately communicating tasks so they fully understand your expectations.

When you catch yourself overediting or redoing your team’s tasks, this is another opportunity for mindfulness. Does this product actually need to be redone, or is it just my preference?

I have heard that the last 20% of work takes 80% of the time. So if we allow ourselves to be okay with 80% on most things, this will create more space and ease in our day, along with greater empowerment for your team members who see their work is appreciated rather than constantly revisited.

Delegating and managing our expectations requires transitioning from automatic pilot, where we quickly move from one thing to the next, to more intentionally responding to the various demands that arise throughout the day. From constantly running from one thing to the next, to stopping for a moment to observe what is arising.

Here is a video on how to shift this perspective: https://youtu.be/iN6g2mr0p3Q

You are doing better than you think you are doing — Practice self-compassion

Perhaps it is the nature of being a leader that you often feel like you are not fit for your role and should just quit or move to an easier job. Maybe it’s just me, but I seem to have this thought every other day.

There is so much to do as a manager — so many people’s expectations and tasks to deal with — that to feel you are not up to the task is part of the game. Don’t take yourself out of the race. Instead, remind yourself of the many things you are doing well.

If we can adopt a growth mindset, where it is okay to take risks and make mistakes, then just get up and try again, and even communicate to others when we are feeling not sure about things, this will take a lot of the pressure off.

The practice of self-compassion, treating ourselves as we would a friend or loved one, can really help with this.

Here is a self-compassion practice that you can try when you are feeling unsure about your success: https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/self-compassion.break__01-cleanedbydan.mp3

I hope these mindfulness tips will help you to navigate your management journey more smoothly. As mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn says, "you can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."

This is the second part of a series on why mindfulness matters in the public service. Read part one. — Paula Vital

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